This will make me horribly unpopular in Portland, but I’ve grown to dislike many of Bridge City’s dog denizens (and their owners).

Why? Well, my daughters have been bitten by dogs, blind-sided, knocked over and tackled by dogs (especially scary when my girls were first learning how to walk), they have had their toys and balls stolen and destroyed by dogs while at various parks, I’ve watched dog owners let their pets trample through newly planted beds in my front yard with nary a word…I could go on and on. Anyway, in every case, the dog owner couldn’t have cared less. If I had let my kids run amok in the same way, they would be in child protective services instead of Argentina right now!!

Needless to say, our experiences in Portland have made me grow to dislike the city dog immensely. Until Buenos Aires, that is.

There are a zillion dog walkers trolling around the city, each holding 8 to 16 dogs at a time. The dogs don’t bark. The dogs don’t pull on their leashes. The dogs don’t run after kids, cars, or cats. The dogs don’t fight with each other. They are a rather happy, well-behaved lot.

Tom and I agree with this Atlantic Monthly article — in-breeding and puppy mills are producing genetically screwed up dogs with myriad problems, and Americans are obsessed with them. I’ve got to tell you, the gorgeous, and often mixed-breed, canines around here have really restored my faith in the city dog. (I grew up with mutt dogs in the country — which colors my perceptions.)

And, a last comment on the ubiquitous dog poop in the street. I have, gasp, seen some dog owners picking up (which is unheard of here), and, at the very least, they try to doody out of the way along the edges of the sidewalk!